This invention relates to a vehicle electronic apparatus which is attached to an instrument panel in a vehicle and controls vehicle electronic equipment such as an air conditioner, an audio system, a car navigation system, and the like.
Heretofore, such a vehicle electronic apparatus includes an electronic control section which controls electronic equipment such as an air conditioner, a car navigation system, and the like, manual switches which are provided on the front side of the electronic control section and send command signals from a driver to the electronic equipment, and a cover panel which is mounted on the front side of the manual switches. These elements are formed together as a single unit. When a single or plural electronic apparatuses are put or piled on each other in an accommodating cavity in the instrument panel, the cover panel is aligned with the instrument panel with respect to a single plane. Accordingly, the driver can control the vehicle electronic equipments concentrically and the cover panel keeps a good appearance of interior of a vehicle.
There are various kinds of automotive vehicles such as a sedan, a sport car, and the like. Interiors of the vehicles are different in accordance with the types of vehicle.
However, the electronic control section, manual switches, and cover panel are formed together as a single unit. In the case where the electronic control section which takes a great part of cost in the vehicle electronic apparatus is used in common in different vehicles in order to reduce the cost of the vehicle, the cover panel is limited in its shape and design, thereby making it more difficult to distinguish each class of the vehicle.
Since this problem will weaken a competitive power of the vehicle in the modern times when a personal taste has become various, this problem should be overcome by all means.